Day to Read

Gunfighter had a fabulous idea a few days back. Each day, in a build up to Day to Read on January 10, he will be blogging about some of his favorite books. (The idea started out on Soccer Mom in Denial’s blog.) He started out with Starship Troopers, which is also one of my faves. I think this is a great idea and I will be joining him in his effort. I may not post a book a day, but I’m going for two or three a week. I’ll cheat on the first one, as it is one I’ll be leading a discussion about tomorrow, but subsequent entries will be on my all time favorites.

Oh, and check out the blog bling. Makes me all official like.

The Preservationist, by David Maine

We all know the story. Noah. Ark. Cubits. Flood. Dove. Rainbow. But how did all those animals get to Noah anyway? Not to mention all of the raw materials for the Ark. And the sons? What about them and their families? The Flood story in the Bible isn’t very fleshed out, and it’s pretty repetitive at that. The Preservationist seeks to fill in some of the logistical details.

Maine brings to life the construction of the Ark, the gathering of the animals, and shipboard life. Never really thought about 190 days with all of those animals, did you? (That’s right, 190. Forty with the rain, then 150 where the “waters swelled on the earth”.) He brings to life all of the characters, giving the Flood story some new life.

There are, obviously, some liberties taken with the story. The Bible does not give names to the wives of Noah’s sons, nor do we know their origins, but Maine’s retelling gives a plausible explanation of their past. The story is very sympathetic to the female characters, giving them voice and strength while understanding their plight in a patriarchal society.

The Preservationist is another good entry into the Biblical novelization genre (I may have just made that term up). Like The Red Tent, it brings new life and understanding to our Biblical heritage.